HomeMy WebLinkAbout8/27/2025 Item 4b, Walker, S.
Steven Walker <stevewalkerslo@gmail.com>
Sent:Tuesday, August
To:Advisory Bodies
Subject:Planning Commission, Grand Jury Recommendation
Dear Planning Commissioners,
I am unable to attend the meeting because I am in the process of clearing out my home and moving my
family to another neighborhood across town. I thought we might be able to attend the meeting, but the
move is taking more time than we anticipated. I am writing to ask you to fully implement the
recommendations of the Grand Jury.
In its draft response to the Grand Jury’s report, the City states the recommendation has been
implemented to the extent practicable and appropriate.
The City claims cannot fully implement the Grand Jury's recommendation because it does not have the
resources to proactively enforce the law. It says the City does not have the money to provide additional
code enforcement staffing to handle the matter and/or to work alternative hours, including evenings and
weekends when the fraternity-related events happen.
The most critical recommendation by the Grand Jury is for the City to actively enforce zoning and
municipal codes for fraternities. The Grand Jury found that the City’s current reactive approach is
ineffective, and this inaction has allowed illegal fraternity operations to continue unabated.
The lack of enforcement is gravely affecting neighborhoods. That is a fact that can no longer be denied.
Numerous fraternities operate without CUPs, yet the City's current enforcement actions have not
shut them down.
Example: Beta Theta Pi at 1327 Foothill continues to advertise its address as its fraternity
locations, hosts large parties, and accumulates citations including unruly gatherings, without
consequence.
In 2023, Notices of Violation and Advisory Letters were issued based on Cal Poly’s AB 524 Report,
but these properties remain active fraternity houses.
Complaints submitted ahead of time are dismissed because Code Enforcement does not work
evenings or weekends, allowing illegal activity to escalate.
The Grand Jury concluded the affected neighborhoods are unlivable, and it is true.
Many residents have already had to move away because they could no longer tolerate the disruptive
noise which is primarily from fraternity parties. Believe me, I have lived in the neighborhood for many
years and the exponential growth of fraternity activity in the past several years is out of control. My wife
and I hoped that the publicity through news investigations, such as the one published by The Tribune,
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would prompt action. But it did not. We hoped the Grand Jury investigation would uncover the truth,
which it did. And we thought the City would then take action to solve the problem, which it is not.
After seeing the City's response to the Grand Jury report, my wife and I realized we had no choice but to
leave. We are currently in the process of moving because the constant fraternity-related noise has made
it impossible to rest, harmed our health, and disrupted our lives. The move has strained our finances,
which has made our future plans uncertain. It is an unplanned, unwelcome, and difficult change at this
stage of our lives as “older” adults. Imagine being forced out of your home because your City refuses to
enforce its own laws.
It should never have come to this point. The City should have done something when the problem was
brought to their attention years ago. Now, with the Grand Jury’s investigation and report, there is no
question that the City must be proactive in its solution.
Misleading Complaint Statistics
The City cites a statistic that fraternity-related complaints represent 6.5% of all code enforcement
complaints. This figure is misleading because noise complaints to SLOPD are excluded from that figure.
A large percentage of noise complaints are from fraternity-related events at fraternity houses. They are
the most disruptive events in the neighborhoods, week after week while Cal Poly is in session. Those
noise complaints and citations are not reported to code enforcement.
There is no accurate database of illegal fraternity addresses, so most calls to SLOPD are not logged as
fraternity-related and code enforcement is never aware of them. Code enforcement takes action if a
resident proactively makes a complaint. Then, the complaints are usually dismissed even though there
are video and social media posts that show they happened because they are not working
evenings/weekends to witness the event firsthand.
This underreporting of violations of the zoning and municipal code minimizes the severity of the problem
and undermines the recommendation for stronger enforcement.
Misaligned Budget Priorities
The City has claimed it cannot fund additional enforcement staff, yet the budget includes numerous
nonessential items, such as $100,000 annually for City art projects. While art and other initiatives are
valuable, they should not come at the expense of residents’ health, safety, and ability to sleep in their
own homes. The City could find the money to pay for someone to proactively start to handle the problem,
even if it's on a contract-basis for the short-term, to start to get a hold of the problem.
The Case for a Dedicated Code Enforcement Officer
Hiring someone to proactively handle the fraternity problem is essential. That person should:
Work Thursday through Saturday evenings when most major fraternity parties occur.
Respond to pre-reported events on weekends.
Coordinate with SLOPD to enforce zoning and municipal code violations effectively.
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Focus on fraternity enforcement for 1–2 years to restore stability and livability in the affected
neighborhoods.
There are a few fraternities with CUPs and they violate the conditions with large noisy parties, but
continue to operate. There are also at least 40 illegal fraternity houses operating openly in our
neighborhoods. Their unchecked behavior has turned parts of San Luis Obispo into chaotic and crazy
environments that make it impossible to live peacefully.
Please fully implement the Grand Jury's recommendation. Insist the City hire a code enforcement officer
to address fraternity-related violations. Prioritize the health, safety and welfare of the neighborhoods by
funding proactive enforcement rather than continuing to the ineffective reactive approach.
Our neighborhoods cannot withstand another year of inaction. The Grand Jury’s findings are clear, and
residents are suffering as a result of the City’s failure to enforce its laws. Proactive enforcement is the
only way to restore order and protect the livability of our community.
Thank you for your time and service to our city.
Sincerely,
Steve Walker
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